Banjo attachment



H. R. WILMOT.

BANJO ATTACHMENT. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 1920.

Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

I I I I\ Y 3 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BANJO ATTACl-Ill/IENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

Application filed February 10, 1920. Serial No. 357,573.

To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HARRY R. WVILMOT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Banjo Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my present inventon is the provision of a resonator attachment for banjos and similar musical instruments, the said attachment being adapted to afford a blended tone of the same quality as a banjo, but of increased volume, and being so arranged to the annular portion of the banjo head that an annular space is provided for the passage of the tone after the tone has entered and left the resonator. Moreover because of the said annular passage for the emission of the amplified volume of tone, the use of the resonator attachment does not change the direction in which the tone passes from the banjo head.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a banjo attachment having legs whereby there is no danger of the highly polished surface of the metallic portion of the resonator being marred when the banjo is laid on a table or other support.

Other objects and practical advantages of the invention will be appreciated from the following description and claims when the same are read in connection with the draw ings, accompanying and forming part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a view showing my novel at tachment as properly applied to a banjo head.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the inner side of the attachment.

Fig. 3 is a diametrical section taken through the attachment and showing the hollow resonator formed by an inner disk of wood and an outer section of metal; the metallic section being concavo-convex in cross-section in order to afford a space into which and out of which the tone given off by the playing of the banjo may pass precedent to the passage of such tones through the annular space between the perimeter of the resonator and the annular banjo head.

Fig. id is a detail View illustrating one mode of attaching the attachment to the continuation of the neck that is usually present in a banjo head.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

. The banjo head 1 may be and preferably is of the ordinary well known construction, and my novel attachment may be connected with the neck continuation 2 of the banjo, in the manner shown in Fig. 4, or in any other approved manner; the essence of my invention having nothing to do with the said mode of attachment specifically con sidered.

My novel resonator attachment is made up of a flat, circular diaphragm or disk 3 of thin wood, in which are apertures i, and a thin metallic section 5 .that is concavoconvex in cross-section, in order to afford a tone chamber 6 between it and the diaphragm 3. The said metallic section 5 is provided with a marginal flange '7 to receive the edge of the diaphragm 3, and is attached fixedly to said diaphragm by screws 8 or other means. I prefer, however, to employ the screws 8 since when used in pairs, they serve the additional function of fixedly attaching to the resonator the legs 9 which are disposed at right angles to the diaphragm 3 and extend outwardly from the marginal flange 7 of the metallic section 5. Carried by the legs 9 and extending laterally outward therefrom are pins 10 on which are rubber coverings 11. These latter are adapted to rest as shown in Fig. 1, against the edge of the annular portion of the banjo head.

Manifestly when the banjo is laid fiatwise on a table or other support, the legs 9 will prevent contact and marring of the convex surface of the section 5 which is ordinarily highly polished, with a view to enhancing the finished ap iearance of the banjo equipped with the attachment.

In the practical use of my attachment, the tones afforded by the playing of the banjo enter the resonator through the apertures 4- in the diaphragm 8 and leave the resonator by tie same means. By virtue of this, the volume of tone is materially amplined, and at the same time the tone is of blended quality similar to the natural tone of the banjo, this blended tone being due to the fact that the resonator is partly of wood and partly of metal, which is broadly new so far as I am aware. After passing into and out of the resonator, the tone is emitted from the banjo head through the annular passage 12 between the perimeter of the resonator and the annular portion the banjo head.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters-Pat ent, is:

'to aiford a chamber between it andsaid diaphragm.

v2. The combination with the head of a banjo, of a'resonator attached thereto and relatively arranged to afford a passage between its perimeter and the annular portion of the banjo head; the said resonator being made up of an inner apertured portion of wood, and an outer metallic section between which and the wooden portion a tone chamber is formed. i

3. The combination with the head of a banjo, of a resonator attached thereto and having an inner apertured portion of wood and an outer metallic portion the exterior of which is convex and also having outwardly extending legs and cushioning pins extending radially from said legs and adapted to bear against the edge of the banjo head.

4. 11 banjo head made up of an, inner apertured diaphragm of Wood and an outer metallic section secured to the diaphragm between which a tone chamber is formed.

5 A banjo head 'made up of an inner apertured chlaphragm' of wood and an outer metallic section secured to the diaphragm between which a tone chamber is formed, said metallic section having outwardly extending legs and cushioned pins extending radially from said legs. 7

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature.

HARRY R. WILMOT. 

